As the bio on my blog says, I love the ocean. I grew up on Vancouver Island but left when I was 19 years old. I miss many things about the sea - the smell of the fresh salty air and the sense of calm that envelopes me when the waves are lapping against the beach.
It was this sense of calm that my mom, my sister, and I sought out after Angie finished the Boston Marathon on April 15th. Our time in Boston was brief and while we immensely enjoyed the initial part of our visit, the trip certainly did not turn out as we planned. We were never in harm's way after the bombings but we were scared and confused by the events that unfolded around us.
After the bombings, our emotions were high and we sought refuge in a trip to the Massachusetts seaside. We drove out of the city to find the ocean and walk in the sand. We chatted with New Englanders who were horrified that their most treasured event had been marred by terrorism. We ate good food at a diner in Salem and enjoyed a most fabulous supper in Gloucester. After a long day on the road, we returned to the city, still on edge but with a feeling of peacefulness that comes from spending the day together with the ones that you love.
The story of our trip to Boston doesn't have much to do with community-supported fishing but our meal at Alchemy in Gloucester certainly did. Despite the fact that Gloucester is a fishing town right on the Atlantic ocean, Alchemy sold salmon that had been brought in from the Faroe Islands. This is because Atlantic salmon has been horribly overfished and most Atlantic salmon sold in stores today is farmed. While I'm not interested in debating the merits of farmed vs fresh salmon, I personally will not buy farmed salmon. However, given that I live in Alberta, fresh fish (never mind good-tasting fish) is hard to come by, not to mention incredibly expensive. Enter Skipper Otto's Community-Supported Fishing (CSF).
I first heard of Skipper Otto via CBC Radio in Calgary. The CSF concept was being profiled on the radio and I was intrigued. I contacted the individuals at Skipper Otto and requested the names of clients who were willing to act as references for their business. I spoke to a few people who had ordered from Skipper Otto in the past - all were thrilled with the quality and taste of the salmon that they received. I took the plunge and purchased a share last summer. Truth be told, the salmon we received is some of the best that I have ever eaten. It is not fresh when we receive it in Alberta but it is frozen very soon after being caught and tastes almost as good as fresh.
I paid $250 for a CSF share last year and received approximately 8 large salmon fillets (1/2 of a whole salmon) plus a few packs of smoked salmon. This priced out to be less than the farmed Atlantic salmon that you can buy at Costco. The quality was superior and as mentioned, the taste was excellent. We will be ordering a CSF share again this year and I'd encourage you to consider doing the same*. Skipper Otto delivers in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, and Saskatoon.
*I'm not afflicted with Skipper Otto in any way and receive no financial benefit or incentive from writing about their fish*
